"The Citadel's the heart of galactic society. If something were to happen there, the repercussions would be felt across the galaxy." – Commander Jane Shepard
Saren Arterius was more than just angry, more than just mad, he was positively wrathful. He flexed his cybernetic claw in his throne, the arch glistening in the harsh blue lights of his…ship. Playing before him was an image from a Geth prime sent to him before its demise, it was a flickering image of a massive combat machine clad in ornate and obnoxious armour. A terrible face plate similar in appearance to an exaggerated human skull was leering down at the trooper.
The Geth struggled as an armoured boot softly pinned it down, the skull-faced assailant seemed to pause as if in thought before speaking…if that is what one could call the harsh guttural snarling it produced. It spoke something clearly a question by the pause afterwards. The head didn't move its glowing red eyes burning into the unit, it spoke again this time increasing the pressure of its foot causing the Geths optic to spasm slightly. The unit was afraid, and this was the reason for Sarens increasing frustration…how in the spirits did a machine feel fear like this, it made sense that it would have the capability to feel something akin to fear in the form of self-preservation but this here, what he was viewing, was a spirits-damned war machine being afraid, so afraid it couldn't speak.
He faintly heard someone enter the bridge, "What is it?" drawling it out no bothering to look at who had entered instead focusing on the last image of the…interloper as it turned and left. "We identified the alliance ship that touched down on Eden Prime. The Normandy. It was under the command of a Captain Anderson. We could not however identify the other ship or the combat robots that were deployed." He had rewound the video and was still staring at the image of the giant's skull face, "and the beacon?" he wasn't truly paying attention so long as the beacon had been destroyed that was all that really mattered.
The Asari Matriarch behind him took a short breath before stating, "one of the humans and something…else…may have used it." He rocked forwards then back, "Argh! Rarh! Argh!" the feral growling lept from his mouth as he was across the room, controls and devices flinging away behind him and claw placed over the mouth of the matriarch. "This human must be eliminated…and these combat robots located." He calmed down slightly and paced away.
"Let the fires of our faith light the path through this darkness. We are Salamanders; the forge of war shall temper our spirits." - Chaplain Xavier (Salamanders)
Shepard is standing next to Cpt. Anderson at the Galaxy map, currently waiting on their…giant…killer…cyborg…strays? The space marines, they were waiting on the space marines. As if one que the elevator behind them dinged open, with a rhythmic thumping soon following, turning her head slightly she saw crewmen pause or scurry out of the way. One unfortunate young man dropping everything from his coffee mug to a data pad while looking at the incoming armoured death machines with his jaw on the floor.
All five of the marines positioned themselves around the Galaxy map with Janes eyes darting to Durandals Armoured shoulder now repaired, the massive claw rakes and rents somehow removed. Anderson was about to speak when Durandal raised a hand. "Where are the other two of the Commanders team, Lieutenant Alenko and this Chief Williams?" Durandals voice rumbled out, his accent was definitely Germanic from what Jane could pinpoint, she'd honestly not spent much time on earth with her mom and dad moving around due to being in the navy, so she only had alliance personnel from Germany she met the odd time to go off. "Lieutenant Alenko is on his way here; he was storing the 'Hellguns' you gave Shepards team following the…procedure he was given by specialist Ra." Shepard could practically hear the tiredness of the everything getting to Anderson but still refusing to give into the pomp and pageantry of their guests and their eccentricities. He then after a short glance at Shepard to ensure she wasn't laughing at him, continued.
"Gunnery-Chief Williams is undergoing some treatment and observations to ensure those 'Tyranids' didn't do any lasting damage." Anderson turned to Pressly and took a data-pad and flicked up through it. Durandal leant forward staring at the Galaxy map…and that's when something clicked for Jane one of the reasons, she could see Pressly sweating and gulping was because the Space Marines were too quiet, like unnaturally quiet. Sure, they probably noise suppression in the armour to help with stealth but aside from that it's like they weren't breathing or even swaying. They stood still and that meant still like she could walk over and lean on them like a statue, and she was more likely to hurt herself then damage them and whenever they did something like an action or speak it was almost exaggerated but controlled, they fought like anyone would expect from a super soldier, exact, quick and efficient no movement or attack was wasted…but then she'd seen Durandal charge head first into a Geth squad with a fucking eagle club and Sa'kan had ripped a xenomorph and dinosaurs love child in half with his bare hands. They werea contradiction, they were controlled and efficient but also ruthless and berserk, they could be so inhumane in thought and feeling but then be ready to throw themselves into the fire to save a single child.
She got pulled out of her thoughts by the arrival of Alenko, who walked right up beside and then stood ready, "Hellguns are stored and blessed Captain." She heard the groan escape Anderson before he could stop it. "I will check them later to ensure it is so, their machine spirits will be restless in such an unfamiliar place." Spoke Grullor, he was looking right at Alenko then to Anderson. Durandal simply nodded stating, "We can begin…. when we arrive at this station, I and Grullor will go with Captain Anderson and declare ourselves to this Council, we shall tell them we are a new species and falling that explain we are a separate human species." The last part caught Shepards attention, "you think they won't believe the new species story?" she folded her arms and waited, genuinely curious for an explanation. "We have shared iconography…we appeared in human space…we willingly risked our lives for what should be an unknown and unrelated species and failing all of that they may simply force us to remove our helms." Durandal said all of this like the final parts were apparent and appearing in human space couldn't be explained as an accident.
"Your ships being in our space could be explained as you simply picking up the distress call from Eden Prime?" she offered, she heard a rustle to the left, which was Shevrim shaking his head. "This council will likely demand to then see our information on the event which we do not have and use this as justification to demand to see the Vaunted." Jane couldn't help but wince the more Shevrim talked it sounded so sore and painful. "Ok, but what are you going to about it and if they make you remove your helmets?" luckily before the conversation could veer off Anderson interrupted, "I already had a message sent ahead, I may or may not have thrown in a small lie about you all being unable to breathe standard atmospheres, they'll buy it for now."
"Huh, ok fair enough." Jane shrugged her shoulders, "so Durandal and Grullor are with the Captain, I guess one of you guys is with me?" she looked at the remaining three marines. "Shevrim will be…Shadowing…our groups where and when necessary, Maxus and Sa'kan will be going with you." Durandal stated that like it wasn't going to be a problem, Anderson vocalised the one Shepard and her team were thinking, "no can do, he goes either with us or with Shepard no offence, but you guys stick out." In response there was a short huff from Durandal who pointed behind Anderson and said, "truly, then pray tell, how did Shevrim sneak up on you?" Anderson whirled to his left to see Pressly with a gauntlet wrapped around his face and massive pistol pointed directly at his own head.
Shevrim holstered his gun and let Pressly go who immediately fainted, "300 years I've lived in shadow lad, it's been a constant companion, trust me if I don't want to be seen I won't be." He turned and left heading to elevator, Sa'kan followed stopping to pick up Pressly. "I will take this arms-man to the Hospitalier, I want to check on Williams while I'm there." It was almost comical watching Sa'kan cradle Pressly, Grullor had also walked over to the elevator followed by Maxus it looked like Durandal given some kind of subtle signal to dismiss them.
The Chaplain stood back from the table, folding his arms across his chest. "Commander Shepard when you have time, I will answer questions you may have…I-I have some of my own, however my council on matters of faith and battle would be more helpful to you." His tone wasn't worry or fear, if Shepard had to place it, it was apprehension. Suppose that was understandable, the two of them hadn't the chance to talk about the whole mind meld seeing part of his past thing yet."Alright I'll take you up on that…wait faith, are you like an actual priest."She'd seen the memories and got half blurs of litanies, but she didn't really understand the need for a priest in what she was seeing and experiencing as super child soldiers.
The old Chaplain seemed to consider her words; Shepard waited on his answer standing with her arms folded, which she realised she was doing in a similar manner as the chaplain and very quickly corrected it. Durnadal noticed and chuckled, "it is often hard to explain to mortals the role of a chaplain…they tend to associate the station with those of the ecclesiarchy." Foreseeing the interruption coming from Shepard he raised a hand, "the ecclesiarchy are those who preach in the divinity of the emperor, my own chapter, the Black Templars are staunch followers…our founder was the great Sigismund." Shepard smiled, the name had a story and that's just what she wanted, a starting point to the mystery of their big 'friendly' super soldiers. "Sounds like an interesting guy so he was the first space marine?"
Durandal shook his head, he held up an arm gesturing for her to follow and they began walking to elevator. "Sigismund was not the first Astartes, he was the first of my brotherhood, the first High Marshal and the first Emperors Champion…it was during the siege of Terra, when the heretics, traitors and worse threw themselves upon the walls of the imperial palace that Sigismund, 1st captain of the 7th legion, favoured son of Rogal Dorn, the praetorian of Terra, was gifted the black armour of the Emperors Champion…." Jane learned a few things in elevator ride down. One was not to ask the space marines about their histories unless she had an hour to spare, another lesson was that if Durandal was anything to go by they could be very, passionate…no zealous was the right word. It seemed like everything tied to them is so over the top and bombastic.
"Let the fires of our faith light the path through this darkness…."- Chaplain Xavier (Salamanders)
Dr. Karin Chakwas was finding her time to be abord this new ship rather intriguing, first the young private Jenkins is killed on his first mission, the third officer is carted in comatose apparently suffering from 'visions' then the granddaughter of the General Williams is brought in having apparently fought off a, she checked the notes, Xenomorph-dinosaur hybrid attempting to potentially sexually assault her and just now one of these super-humans they've picked up has arrived with the XO, Pressly in his arms like its carrying a baby.
Rubbing her head, she stood up setting aside her evaluation of Gunnery-chief Williams, "please put Navigator Pressly down on bed 4, I'll take it from here thank you." She began using her omni tool to take readings, seems like the poor man fainted, she turned around to walk back to her desk to pick up some medi-gel and stopped. The Super-human hadn't left instead it chose to stand near the entrance to the med-bay. "Is there something you need?" she tried not being off put by it, how it didn't seem to be making any noise, she hadn't heard it leave now that she thought about it. The thing seemed to look around the med-bay its eyes resting on chief Williams sound asleep in bed 1.
"How is our little tyranid slayer?" now Karin really was taken aback it sounded almost concerned or jovial. "Gunnery-chief Williams is fine, a little shaken but fine she is currently resting." Attempting to appear unshaken Karin walked back to her desk and finish her earlier report and began Pressly's. "When will she awaken?" Karin turned and looked at it again feeling unsure as how to respond, after a moment she responded, "she is just sleeping…" her voice trailed off as the thing walked over to bed containing Chief Williams and just loomed over her. "Can you wake her for me, I fear I may frighten her."
A short laugh escaped from Karin, it really was comical, this massive hulking brute worried he may frighten the young woman like some unruly child trying not to scare a small animal. "I'm sorry I just-after your friend Maxus I was worried all of you were going to be…well." The giant turned its head at her letting out a short huff. "Indeed, you'll have to forgive brother Maxus, his temperament is as much a part of him as any other son of Guilliman." Karin nodded she had no idea what or who this Guilliman was, but the fact Maxus considered himself his son was an interesting detail. She gave Ashely a light shake, the poor girl squirmed, her eyes fluttering open. "wahuh-holy shit!" Asheley scrambled backwards in her bed pulling the sheets with her, holding them to her chest she stared up at the massive form of her saviour.
Sa'kan held up a hand to placate her, indicating he meant no harm, and truly he didn't unlike many of his kinsmen in the Astartes who would have simply brushed the young woman's actions aside and disregarded how she may have felt in this situation. "I see your recovering, good, fighting with competent soldiers such as yourselves is a refreshing change. None of you have balked or fallen short in your duty. You are to be commended after surviving the tyranids such as you did." She couldn't see the warm smile behind his helmet, he was proud of these soldiers, his only misgivings coming from the apparent need for Xenos as allies. He was no fool about such things he had seen records in the watch and heard from other chapters of cases where they had to engage in a limited peace to combat a greater foe. Still, the idea of this alien council passing judgement over humanities right to defend itself made his hearts begin to kindle.
"Oh, uh…umm thanks sir?" Ashely didn't know his rank but better safe than sorry she just got woke up from a nightmare of one those fucking xenomorph looking aliens, its hot breath baring down on her. However, as she was woken up the image of the thing being dragged off her as the large dragon ripped it in half flashed in briefly. It tilted its head, "most of mortals generally refer to us in the Astartes as Mi'lord, however Sa'kan will suffice." The giant was calm and measured continuing to ask Ashely questions as Dr Chakwas watched on. It asked general questions how was her recovery going? how did she think their mission on the Vaunted went? so on and so forth. It eventually got to asking about her background, her family and friends.
Ashely had dropped her guard a little, twiddling her thumbs together in circles sighing when it-Sa'kan, when Sa'kan asked about her family. "I'm the big sister of four girls, gotta make sure those kids don't grow up to be a hot head like me…and our dad died in service. He never got the position or respect he was owed because of his dad...my grandfather." She looked down at her thumbs like a scolded child. Sa'kan considered what she said, obviously her grandfather committed a heinous action and had brought a stigma or shame to their family condemning his line, he nodded to let her continue showing as best he could it was ok.
"My families been in the alliance military for a long time, but my grandfather was General Williams…he served with distinction until the first contact war, until he surrendered at Shanxi." So, it was just as Sa'kan had thought this young woman had developed a drive to succeed and preserver, she needed to prove herself in the eyes of those around her. This was fine, commendable even especially in those as young as her, it was a trait generally accepted by Astartes, the common guard however in his experience would simply execute individuals for such failures. In the kill teams short time here, he had come to see this was not the case here in this time-space, perhaps this is what his Primarch and Emperor had striven to return humanity too so long ago, a time and place when compassion could be shown and those who failed wouldn't suffer death or worse.
He was broken from his melancholy when the young woman placed a hand on his gauntlet. "Thanks, really when that thing got me…i-I thought I was a goner…" she laughed weakly when she said it trailing off. "Those things were out of a goddamned horror movie…" she had unconsciously clutched Sa'kans gauntlet her nails scratching against the ceramite, the other claw-gripped onto her sheet, the knuckles on both turning white.
He gently touched her shoulder breaking her from her spiral, "hold fast Guardsman, you are needed in the here and now, the Emperor has plans for us all even you and only in death will your duty end, so take heart and know you are not alone…" he pauses, she's looking up at him tears are beginning to well, the hospitalier Chakwas has also stopped her work and is watching their exchange with rising interest. "Do not give into this despair gnawing at your mind, use it to fuel hate for their…misbegotten kind, to light the fire in your heart." He pointed to her chest, she followed with her eyes and gave a resolute nod wiping away the tears that had welled up. A short click from his helmet cut through the silence, he turned his head as if receiving a message and stared for a short few seconds.
"I am being summoned; it appears we are on the final approach to this citadel." He looked down at the young woman and used his augmetic to wipe away a tear. "I suggest you don your wargear and prepare." Hed spoken the last part with a sense of foreboding, it caused Williams to look at Dr. Chakwas who simply shrugged as the giant left the room.
"By my fury…these xenos shall know the name of he on Terra" – Watch-Chaplain Durandal of the Black Templars chapter
Standing in the CIC of the Normandy Shepard and her team were making final preparations checking gear, making medi gel supplies were stocked and that she had enough GX7, that shit was compact, sweet and high in calories, perfect for an exhausted biotic. Maybe it was advertised as an emergency ration and maybe there was GX5 for hamsters and GX6 for varrens and maybe there were rumours GX7 was just varren jerky mashed up into pellets and packed full of nutrients but damn it tasted good.
She heard a soft thumping alerting her to the space marines and surprisingly Anderson. "When the hell were you going to tell me, you saw Saren!" not good, Anderson had been pretty calm and cool about the space marines taking in all the over the top and elitism thrown at him but now he was power marching after Durandal and Grullor. The 2 marines for their part were seemingly unperturbed by the fact her CO was hot on their heels, the crew of the Normandy quickly and quietly got out of the way but stood around trying their best to look busy.
"Whose Saren?" Janes voice cut through the brewing argument, she was standing hands on hips looking between Anderson and Durandal, they made quite a contrast, Anderson in his Alliance captains uniform all shades of navy and his rank pips glinting in the light of the displays. Vs Durandal who towered over everyone around them his skull faced helmet was terrifying to look at, Jane had only recently found herself able to look directly at it. She could see small chips and cracks that appeared to have 'healed' with its brow becoming a black helmet and in the centre of it all, a small silver skull icon embedded in it.
"The captain appears to have faced the malformed creature who murdered your xenos ally." Grullor informed her bluntly, the large cyborg sounded…concerned if she had to place it which was odd, the voice that came out of the vox was almost monotone, but she'd spent the better part of 10 ye—wait no that was Durandal. Well, this was getting annoying fast she'd need to talk to Chakwas later see if theres anything she can do to help her with the random memories.
"So, you saw who killed Nihlus?" well this was good more witnesses, and if the council bought the nonhuman story even better, their current witness was a smuggler who had barely seen anything and was a normal human, no doubt the council would heavily scrutinise anything and everything he said. Anderson looked at Shepard shaking his head at the 2 giants, "Saren is a Turian spectre, one of the best, potentially the best spectre alive today." Anderson pointed at a red tinted video that had popped up on a nearby display. It showed a silver 'skinned?' turian with some very invasive cybernetics speaking to Nihlus, who turned to look around at the devastation behind them, Shepard could see his mouth moving but looked at the turain behind him. The turian seemed to saw something and raise a pistol and with one quick shot Nihlus dropped to a heap at which point Jane saw herself and her squad run up just as the turian disappeared.
"So that's who we were chasing huh…wait you guys were watching? Why didn't you stop him?" Jane looked at the 2 marines for clarification, it was a bit more worrying that they had potentially been following her or nearby the entire time and she somehow hadn't noticed but after Shevrims display of stealth at the CIC she shouldn't necessarily be surprised. Durandal and Grullor looked at each other before Shevrim spoke up from behind her causing both her and Anderson to jump slightly out of fright, when the fuck did, he get behind them…when the fuck did he come up to the display? She might need to put a bell on him while he's onboard the Normandy.
"Look at them, they know each other…besides such treachery is common among lesser Xenos breeds." Jane turned around and eyed the old Shark, he was just as unnecessarily scary as Durandal, were Durandal had the intimidating aura of Authority down to a tee, Shevrim was just ominous and brooding she wasn't sure if the old marine would just silently stare people into submission or slit their throat in their sleep. Anderson chose to ignore the last little speciesist remark and tacked on more useful info, "from what I got on Nihlus through the Citadel and Alliance intel, he was trained by Saren just never bought into Sarens Turian and council supremacy schtick or his outward hatred for humans."
"So Nihlus runs into an old mentor, on a human colony in the middle of a Geth invasion, who just so happened to be near the site of a prothean beacon being transported which was swarming with Geth and bombs, and then somehow ends up with a round in the back of his skull." She'd walked past the 3 marines with a hand on her chin, when she made it to the CIC, she looked at the galaxy map and leant on the bar in the exact same manner as Durandal. "That's an awful lot of coincidences even if they consider our evidence suspect…the reason you wanted me to have a look around was to see if I could find out anything on Saren?"
Anderson just nodded, "we'll meet up with Udina, Humanities Ambassador and see if we can't use what we've got to pull Saren's spectre status, afterwards Shepard and her team will investigate any leads that they can find backed up by Sa'kan and Maxus. Myself, Durandal and Grullor will work on getting a private meeting with the council." He pointed to each person making sure their objectives were understood. "While I am loathe to be beholden to these councillors…we will maintain as much cordialness as possible, Shevrim will be watching us and if necessary ready to reinforce either group should they need it." Durnadal finished his eye lenses not leaving the display of the Turian traitor, he was swearing internally to himself, to his primarch and to the emperor that this filth would perish. He turned and looked at his brothers Sa'kan had arrived with Maxus overhearing the plan on the vox.
"Sa'kan, Maxus standard retinue formation Ollaria 5-beta, Commander Shepard is to be considered an agent of the Emperors Inquisition for this time." The two brothers didn't even hesitate and immediately gave final checks to their newly acquired Hesh-pattern Boltguns, Sa'kan now had the infernus pistol used by Durandal maglocked to his hip and a chain blade nothing as grand as Shevrims, the standard Acitus Pattern chainblade utilised by all chapters, Grullor also had the boltgun and chainblade he however had opted for a plasma pistol. Maxus unsheathed his newly acquired power gladius and gave it a quick once over, he flicked the power filed on and off before re-sheathing it. Shevrim re-checked his Phobos Bolter its chain blade attachment was idling; he still had the chainblade secured to his hip with his flaying knife maglocked to his thigh he had forgone the pistol choosing the blade and his knife as his options. Durandal had two pistols, maglocked to both thighs was his metla pistol and the bolt pistol Shevrim used to his right thigh. His crozius was dangling from its hold on the back of his belt as he walked to the ship disembarkation chamber. He gave a final passing glance predominately at Shepards team, catching the eye of the commander who gave him a nod. He didn't respond, here and now he would need to focus on his control, his every move and action would and could be used against humanity here…the thought of having to kowtow to the xenos was almost maddening…almost, after all, better the lives of xenos be sacrificed in the attempt to stop these Geth than the innocent of humanity.